Kuzma has to put in the work. He lives the LA lifestyle too much. We have seen this happen to several Lakers. Jordan Clarkson and Kyle Kuzma had identical rookie season where they made an amazing impression. Then when the pressure started setting in, they turned into marginal players. Kyle Kuzma is going to have to work on his handles and BB IQ. Lots of film and lots of work in the gym. It is up to him if he wants to be a star. He has the physical tools, he needs to put in the dedication on the mental side. It's really that simple.
i'm not sure he has the physical tools. he's not maxed out, but he's not far from it, imo. i think people expected too much for some reason. he's proven he can be a 20ppg scorer in the right situation (bad team) and a useful role player in the right situation (good team). he'll improve some, but not much from here. i just can't figure out why everyone was expecting him to be an allstar or something. i guess chalk it up to the dark period we were in. so glad we're no longer pinning hopes to 20 year olds who probably never had a shot at getting close to what the fans wanted.
I think the issue is that when fans see "flashes" of greatness or some "wow" moves when he scored 30 points in dynamic fashion, falling short of that pretty much every other night leaves them a little disenchanted when they know what you are capable of. His role was different this year, but he does seem to be a rhythm offensive player, and is probably best suited to be in a situation where he gets 30+ minutes a game. It may never happen here unless there are injuries. With two other star, there is no need for another 20 ppg scorer except for on rare occasion.
On one hand, he may be young enough to mold his game more into a great all-around player that can fit well with James and AD. Contribute in other ways besides always looking to score. Knock down outside shots with consistency, etc. He can still score the same amount if he can learn to choose more high percentage shots and play more within the system. Consistency and efficiency. On the other hand, perhaps Kuz is and always will be happiest being a top scorer above all else, so it would probably be best to trade him for a player or two who can fit better within our system. I would say this is probably the best route, though I'm not sure who we can get at the moment.
The only improvement I've seen from his game compared to the rookie season is his defense. I can't say anything else. His 3P shooting has been awful since his rookie season. And this was AFTER he went through an offseason learning how to shoot....
i'm not sure any of those three things is really true. though his defense did improve this year. physical tools = athleticism, size, agility he's larger than the average nba player (not by much), but he's not particularly quick or fast, doesn't have exceptional eye-hand coordination, doesn't have an incredible first step. by nba standards, his physical tools are pretty meh. i think his success has largely been from his pretty good feel for the game (when to cut, where the ball's going, etc.), which is an underrated attribute, but not a "physical tool".
None of what you said has translated into improving his NBA game other than defense, though. The numbers prove it. Anyone can get bigger, stronger, and quicker. But this is the NBA, not WWE.
i'm confused. i was arguing that his physical tools are a limiting factor, and that his success has been either despite the lack of or unrelated to his physical attributes. he's fairly tall (for a sf, not for a pf), but otherwise unremarkable. have always liked his instincts, which can't really be taught or trained (well, i suppose over a career, these improve, but a lot of this is there from the beginning--see magic, or even lonzo). and while i agree one can improve his strength, speed and quickness are harder to alter. particularly the latter.
WTF is that a joke? If Indiana is offering that, I take that deal and RUN. Dipo for Green/Kuz/1st is highway robbery for us.
its not high way robbery if you pay attention to vic gm the last 2 seasons but id take the risk as well
I'd do it and I said I was worried about Dipo's injury history. But still. Great fit and for that price I do it in a heartbeat!!
oladipo's a huge risk. i think i said a while back that i thought his value would be low. kuz may be the best offer they'd get, tbh.
I would offer cook, danny green, 1st round pick and that's it. Based on dipo's injury history that's my offer. Keep kuz
